Not to rain on anybody's parade, but...thirteen is supposed to be an unlucky number. Hmm...what a coincidence!

Chapter 13: I'm Not Left-Handed

Seventeen-year old Charlene sat on her bed with a candle held closely to her face. The dancing shadows from the candle gave her face an eerie look. Next to her on the bed was her thirteen-year old brother. This was one of the many times they would stay up late into the night and exchange scary stories by candlelight.

"And they never heard from him ever again." Charlene finished, giving one last scary look.

"You've told me that one before Charlie. Let me tell you one!" Her little brother pleaded. "This one's a true story!"

"A scary story that actually happened?" Charlene looked skeptically at her little brother. "Now this, I've got to hear."

She handed him the candle and he began.

"Long ago there was a brave knight who fell in love with the princess. And in order to get her hand in marriage, the king ordered the knight to kill the monster that had been terrorizing the canyon caves and bring back one of its horns."

"Terrorizing, huh? That's a big word, Thomas." Charlene joked.

"Shut up Charlie! I'm telling a story here!" He cleared his throat and continued. "Now once he got there, he found that the monster was a fire-breathing horned dragon. The monster tried to burn him with his fiery mouth many times, but the knight was smarter than the usual opponent. He climbed the walls of the canyon and got on the dragon's back like this—"

Thomas got up from the bed, handed Charlene the candle and proceeded to act out the rest of the story on the small ottoman at the foot of Charlene's bed.

"—and when he got there he thrust his sword into the dragon's back. He thought he had killed the dragon, so he cut off one of the horns and hopped off. He was walking away, when the dragon came back to his senses and breathed enough fire to kill the knight before he had any idea what was going on."

Thomas stood up, walked back over to the bed and grabbed the candle from his sister, holding it up to his face for dramatic affect. "And they still say the dragon haunts the canyon caves searching for his missing horn."

Charlene looked at her brother's serious face for a few seconds before bursting out into laughter.

"That's the stupidest scary story I've ever heard! I wasn't even scared!"

"You were too! I could tell!"

"Was not! It would've been better if you had said that the knight's screams could still be heard in the canyon caves. Just having a dragon with out a horn isn't scary at all." She placed her brother's shoulder. "I know you can do better than that, Thomas."

"I didn't make that one up Charlie! I read about it in a book!" He crossed his arms.

"Oh did you now? What book?"

"I…I don't remember the name of it! But believe me! I didn't make it up!" Thomas got off of Charlene's bed and walked over to the door. "I'm going to prove it to you Charlie!"

The daydream shifts into a nightmare.

A snake slithering on the dirt path, spooking both horses. Thomas' horse reared on its back legs, sending Thomas flying backwards. His head hit the ground with a sickening CRACK! Charlene ran to his side, but it was too late.

The future king of Florida was dead at thirteen.

"You okay over there Charlie?" Terry nudged Charlene as she walked, bringing her out of her daydream.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine." She smoothed out her shirt nervously.

"You sure? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm just nervous about the canyon caves…that's all."

"I wouldn't be. They're just some stupid caves. What could possibly be there waiting on us? A monster?" He erupted in laughter and Charlene held back tears.

She had felt the same way when her brother had told her that story almost five years ago.

"Oh lighten up Charlie." He nudged her again. "We'll be fine."

"I hope so." She muttered under her breath.

The trip to the canyon caves went surprisingly well. According to Philby, the canyon caves consisted of twenty-something caves that all served as tunnels to a giant canyon. The caves were dangerous to travel through, so most people didn't even bother.

But since Maleficent's soldiers didn't know any better, Finn decided to set them straight.

Right now, Finn and the others were crouched behind a fallen tree, giving them a perfect view of one of the many entrances. Two soldiers pacing in front of the entrance. To Finn, they both looked worried.

"Where's the third guy?" The captain whispered to Finn.

Willa shushed them, pointing to the soldiers. She cupped her hand around her ear, signaling them to listen.

"—shouldn't have gone in alone."

"He'll be fine. Give him ten more minutes."

"I don't think it was a good idea."

"Oh, you're just a worrier. Sit down and enjoy the beautiful day! He'll be back. You'll see."

There was a loud roar, followed by a blood-curdling scream, coming from the direction of the cave. Both soldiers scrambled for their swords and stared into the cave.

Finn took this opportunity to strike, with the captain right on his tail. Finn swung the hilt, connecting with one soldier's shoulder, causing him to collapse.

The second soldier turned right when the captain reached him, stabbing him in the left shoulder. Charlene shrieked. The captain staggered back a few steps. Finn could have sworn he saw fire in Captain Maybeck's eyes as the captain raised his sword in his left hand to fight again.

The soldier laughed. "How are you going to fight like that?"

Captain Maybeck looked down at his left shoulder, looked back up at the soldier and let out a little laugh.

"What's so funny?" The soldier asked him.

"I know something you don't."

"And what's that?"

"I'm not left-handed." He switched hands and swung the sword at the soldier, disarming him. The captain pinned him to the ground and stabbed him in his right shoulder.

"I guess we're even now."

Finn was so glad that the captain was on his side. After seeing that, Finn made a mental note never to make the captain mad—especially if he had a sword with him.

"Where's the third one?" Willa asked the second soldier. "Did he go inside the cave?"

"One of them did!" The soldier yelled as he reached for his shoulder. Every time he reached, Captain Maybeck swatted his hand away. "He went into the jungle to get some food! We haven't eaten in a day!"

Philby kneeled next to him. "You said one of them. Are you suggesting there's more than three of you?"

"Yes! One more! He went inside the cave!"

Amanda glanced at Finn. Finn knew what they needed to do.

"Leave him captain. Let's go inside."

"What? NO!" Charlene yelled in protest.

"Why not?"

"There's a dragon inside! It'll kill us all!"

"You can't be serious!" Captain Maybeck yelled out. "She can't be serious! Dragons? They don't exist!"

Another loud roar came echoing through the cave.

"What was that?" Dillard was trembling.

"The dragon! I swear!" Charlene looked to be on the verge of tears now.

"What are we going to do Finn?" Willa asked him. She had a worried look on her face.

"Guys…" Philby muttered.

"I say we go in the cave. Surely the seven of us can stop whoever, or whatever, is in that canyon." Finn replied.

"Guys…" Philby stood up and pointed back to the forest.

"What the—" Amanda turned around her body stiffened.

Finn saw this and turned around to see the third soldier facing them, bow at the ready.

"Stay where you are!" The soldier yelled.

Finn put his sword away and raised his hands over his head. "Please don't shoot. Let's talk about this." Finn took a step toward him.

"I said stay where you are!"

There was a third roar, leaving a rumbling in the cave. A few small rocks fell.

"Finn, the cave's going to collapse. We have to go in now." Willa said just loud enough for Finn to hear, but not loud enough for the soldier.

Finn put one of his hands behind his back and held up three fingers and took a step back.

"Who are you?" The soldier yelled.

Finn lowered a finger, only two left.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Finn lowered another finger, one more to go.

"I SAID—"

Finn lowered his last finger and took off, sprinting toward the cave.

Finn heard the soldier yell something and release an arrow in Finn's direction.

The cave rumbled, some more rocks fell and he knew that Willa was right: the cave was going to collapse.

Philby saw Finn start sprinting to the cave and immediately pulled Willa out of the line of fire.

Amanda took off after Finn, which was no surprise to Philby. It was when the captain took off in his direction that Philby got confused. Dillard and Charlene charged the soldier, trying to get him to stop shooting arrows.

The cave entrance was going to collapse any second. Philby knew what had to be done.

Philby pushed Willa toward Finn, Amanda and the captain. "Go with them!"

"What? Without you? No!" Willa grabbed a hold of his arm. The rumbling in the cave made it impossible to hear anything less than a loud yell.

"Go Willa! I need you to go now!"

"No Philby! Come with me!"

"It'll be alright!"

"But you promised to be there for me!" Tears were streaming down her face, but he knew he had to stay strong. "You promised to protect me!"

"I will! I promise! Meet us at the top of the canyon! Over by the dragon's cove!"

"Dragon's cove?" She asked him.

"Yes!" Philby nodded his head rapidly. "Meet us there as soon as you can!"

"But—" Philby cut her off with a passionate kiss.

The cave rumbled some more and a few rocks fell. Philby ended the kiss.

"I'll be waiting for you at dragon's cove." And with that, he shoved Willa into the cave.

She stumbled, tripped over a few rocks and fell, but Captain Maybeck caught her. Philby ran out of the cave before the falling rocks sealed the cave entrance shut.

Philby turned around and stared at the rocks that now filled in the cave entrance. He turned to see Charlene and Dillard staring at him, with the third soldier unconscious on the ground.

"We're meeting them at dragon's cove."

"You know where that is Philby?" Dillard asked him.

"I don't think we should go there." Charlene was shaking with fear. Philby wasn't sure if that was due to her fight with the soldier or about the dragon that supposedly lived inside the canyon.

"We have to. That's where we're meeting them. The sooner we get there, the better." Philby walked past both of them and headed toward dragon's cove.

I had to include the Princess Bride reference! I couldn't help myself!

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